Breakdown of Eu preciso tomar remédio agora.
eu
I
agora
now
precisar
to need
tomar
to take
o remédio
the medicine
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Questions & Answers about Eu preciso tomar remédio agora.
Why is the subject pronoun Eu included in this sentence even though Portuguese often drops pronouns?
In Brazilian Portuguese, pronouns are frequently omitted because the verb ending indicates the subject. However, including Eu (I) can add emphasis or clarity—especially for language learners who benefit from explicitly seeing who is performing the action.
Why isn’t there an article before remédio? Shouldn’t it be o remédio?
In this expression, remédio is used in a general, uncountable sense—meaning “medicine” in general rather than a specific medicine. Much like in English we say “take medicine” instead of “take the medicine,” the article is omitted in Portuguese in such contexts.
Why is the verb tomar used for taking medicine instead of verbs like comer or usar?
The verb tomar is the standard choice in Brazilian Portuguese for actions like ingesting pills or consuming liquid medicines. While comer means “to eat” and usar means “to use,” tomar specifically conveys the idea of taking a medicinal dose.
Can the adverb agora be placed in a different position in the sentence, and would that affect the meaning?
Yes, agora (now) can be positioned at the beginning (“Agora, eu preciso tomar remédio”) or in the middle (“Eu agora preciso tomar remédio”) of the sentence. The overall meaning remains the same, although the standard order (placing it at the end) tends to emphasize the immediacy of the action.
Why is the conjugation preciso used, and what does it tell us about the subject of the sentence?
Preciso is the first-person singular present tense form of the verb precisar (to need). Its use confirms that the speaker is referring to themselves—matching the subject Eu—and indicates that the need is current and immediate.